Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Paul writing to the Ephesian assembly, mid-passage on the "put off / put on" ethic (vv. 22–32), sandwiched between the command to stop stealing and the warning not to grieve the Spirit.

The words — σαπρός (sapros) literally means "rotten, putrid," the word for food gone bad; it frames unwholesome speech as something that decays rather than merely offends.

The thread — Colossians 4:6 pairs graciousness with salt as a seasoning for speech; 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and Ecclesiastes 10:12 both tie wise words to building up rather than consuming.

Why it lands — It gives a functional test: if a word does not build up the listener or bring grace, it is classified as rotten and excluded from the mouth.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Cross-references

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
Ecclesiastes 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
Proverbs 15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the hearts of fools.
Colossians 3:8 But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Psalms 37:30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.